Identification bands are used in many applications, including particularly in hospitals or the like for patients upon admission. In such instances, when a patient is admitted, information is taken from the patient with respect to his medical history, and, during the course of the patient""s stay, it""s not unlikely that various kinds of medications and treatments are given to the patient. For these reasons, and others, it is important to keep track of the patients in a reliable manner with an identification bracelet which will withstand the vagaries of a hospital environment.
As the admission and processing of patients in hospitals becomes more automated with computers, there has developed a need in the art for an identification band which may be secured about a patient""s wrist or ankle, for example, and which is readily generated through the same computer system as is used to in-process the patient himself. Commonly, and at the present time, these computer systems routinely print admission forms on laser printers.
In the prior art, identification bands have tended to be ruggedized and moisture proofed in order to insure that they are not easily removed by either the staff or the patient, inadvertently or on purpose. Additionally, various arrangements have been provided in the prior art for moisture proofing these identification bands by overlying the band with a plastic film or surrounding it in a plastic sleeve or the like. Of course, this complex structure and arrangement requires time for a medical professional not only to assemble the patient identification band but also to mark the patient identifying information to the band and apply it to the patient in a secure manner. As hospitals process patients in significant numbers, the time required to prepare including marking the band with patient information and applying patient identification bands can be significant and requires more than a minor intrusion into a medical professional""s daily task. Furthermore, requiring the medical professional to apply the information manually, or in a process separate from the actual registration task increases the chance for error.
Still another problem with prior art identification bands is their relatively narrow width. This narrow width limits the font size of printing and thereby renders the band difficult to read. In many instances, the bands were hand lettered or manually typed or imprinted which created additional problems relating to the physical handling of the bands and the resulting xe2x80x9creadabilityxe2x80x9d problems caused by illegible or mis-aligned printing or typing.
With the advent of computer systems, including laser printers, there have been attempts in the prior art to solve these needs, with varying degrees of success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,431 discloses a continuous form admission record with an adhesive backed patient identification band which may be removed from the continuous form after the patient""s name and any identifying data is printed thereon, the band folded over on itself for adhering adhesive backed portions of the band together, and then securing the band to a patient""s wrist by folding it into a loop and joining its ends by use of an adhesive tab. However, the construction of the ""431 patented band has several drawbacks. One such drawback is that the data printed on the identification band remains exposed after the band is applied to a patient""s wrist. While special, more expensive, types of paper or plastic stock may be used, which will help to minimize any obliteration or alteration of the data, this increases the cost of the band and does not provide a full solution. As shown in the patent, this form is made as a continuous form that is generated on a printer having minimum sizes and clarity of type font and bar code which reduce their legibility and image quality. Furthermore, as the disclosure is best understood, the adhesive tab, which secures the opposite end of the band to hold it in a loop appears to be non-overlapping such that its integrity may be readily breached.
The inventor herein is also aware of prior art identification badges or cards formed in a multi-part form wherein a paper layer provides a surface for the printing of identification information including a person""s name, and a second layer of adhesive backed film is oversized so that upon separation of the badge from a carrier, the transparent film may be folded over to overlie the card. As best known to the inventor, these name badges have been used and recommended in the prior art for convention name tags, membership cards and the like which may be directly pinned onto a wearer""s clothing, slipped into a plastic carrier for pinning onto a wearer""s person, or carried in a wallet, or otherwise affixed with separate supporting structure. This product is available commercially under the trademark DURACARD from Avery Dennison and is apparently disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,976.
In order to solve these and other problems in the prior art, the inventor has previously succeeded in designing and developing an identification band blank formed as part of a multi-part, standard page-sized, form which is readily adaptable for use in recording a patient""s admission to a hospital or other health care facility, for example. This invention is a good and valuable invention and is the subject of the several patents noted above. With this invention, an upper portion of the page-sized form may be comprised simply of a matrix of adhesive backed identification labels which may be removed conveniently to adhere to the patient""s utensils, hospital chart, room sign, etc. At the same time, another portion of this page-sized form includes multi-layered identification band blanks.
In a preferred embodiment of the prior patented invention, the page-sized form is comprised of two layers; a paper stock layer and an adhesive backed transparent film layer. The paper stock is suitable for accepting an image printed thereon by a laser printer or the like and can be relatively inexpensive paper stock as will be seen momentarily. With this construction, the band blank can be thought of as an xe2x80x9copen systemxe2x80x9d form. By that is meant the band blank can be any standard, or special, paper or paper size for printing in any printer with any suitable ink. Preferably, a laser printer may be used.
In another preferred embodiment of the prior invention, the page-sized form is comprised from two webs, with a first web forming the upper portion and a second web forming the lower portion, the lower portion containing the multi-layered identification band blanks. These two webs may themselves be formed from different materials, as desired, to accommodate different printers, applications for users, ink requirements, strength or flexibility needs, or any other processing or use environment or need. For example, the upper portion or first web may be formed with a top layer of adhesive backed paper stock with a bottom layer of a coated liner. The lower portion or second web may be formed with a top layer of paper and a bottom layer of an adhesive backed transparent film. After the two webs are individually formed, the webs are joined such as by being overlapped and glued together along their length, and then cut to form the desired page-sized form. In either embodiment a line of perforation may be added to separate the two portions from each other so that a user may conveniently separate the portions to separate the bracelet from the labels.
In either embodiment, the outline of the paper may be kiss-cut into the paper stock such that only the paper stock portion of the multi-layer form is cut for separation from its surrounding paper layer. The transparent adhesive backed film which comprises the other half of the identification band blank is also kiss-cut but has a size more than twice the width of the paper label portion so that upon separation from the carrier, the transparent film may be folded along a fold line to completely overlay, surround, and encapsulate the paper label portion. An edge of adhesive backed film surrounds the entire circumference of the paper label so that a completely moisture-proof seal is formed. Also, each xe2x80x9chalfxe2x80x9d of the transparent film includes an adhesive backed tab extending from its edge so that as the transparent film is folded over, the identification band blank has an adhesive backed tab at either end and aligned for securing the band blank about a patient""s wrist or ankle. As each of the tabs is adhesive backed, and they are arranged to join with each other on their adhesive surfaces, a rather secure attachment is provided when the patient""s wrist is appropriately sized. However, in most instances this is not the case. As each tab has its own adhesive layer, the tabs need not overlie one another and instead will attach to other parts of the band blank such that the identification band blank may also be attached conveniently to a typically sized wrist.
In an alternative construction of the prior invention, a second set of kiss-cuts, of greater strength such that they are not as readily separated, may be formed in the identification band blank and used to provide a reduced length identification band blank for children or infants, as required. With this alternative construction, reduced inventory of the page-sized forms is permitted as the form may be used for virtually any patient being admitted to the hospital or other institution.
While the prior invention has been a good and valuable invention, and an invention that has met with great commercial success and acceptance, the inventor has continued further development based on his experience and as he has applied his invention to various situations. In that regard, the inventor has identified several issues for which his prior invention has represented only a partial solution. One such issue relates to the very common situation when a pregnant mother is admitted to a medical facility or otherwise processed in connection with the birth of her baby. With the prior invention, wristbands and labels could be readily created to suit the situation, but multiple forms would be needed to be used and there would be the distinct possibility that there would be wastage and in any event there would be extra cost involved. Furthermore, the typical printer would not have sufficient tray capacity to hold and make available for automatic processing the differently sized wristbands that would be useful. For example, the baby would need one or maybe even two wristbands to fit around his/her arm and leg, a standard adult sized wristband would be useful for the father, and a standard adult sized or maybe even a somewhat smaller adult wristband would be appropriate. While these separate wristbands could be readily made available, they would each require a separate tray, along with a tray for the xe2x80x9cregularxe2x80x9d wristband label combination form. Alternately, the admittance clerk could re-load wristbands into the same tray as they were printed or an additional printer could be purchased and set up, but each of these alternatives represent extra expense for equipment or labor.
To solve this problem, the inventor has succeeded in designing a form that incorporates on a single sheet the necessary wristbands to satisfy the needs for admitting a pregnant mother. That includes two smaller wristbands for the baby, and two larger wristbands for the mother and father, along with a self laminating identification card which could be used as a visitors card, ID card to verify that some other family member or friend should be permitted access to the baby, or for any other suitable use recognizing that it would be printed with the authentic data generated by the admittance clerk upon patient admittance. Thus, these various wristbands are for the first time combined on a single form so that software may be conveniently written to allow its automatic processing by the admitting clerk all at the same time without re-loading paper trays on printers or requiring additional printers. This ensures that the same, and correct, identifying information is printed on the bands. This also provides additional security for the baby and family as an aid in preventing unauthorized people from gaining access to the baby and possibly kidnapping the baby. This also helps prevent any mistaken identity by the medical personnel in relating the baby to his/her correct parents and also in administering the proper medication or other treatment to the correct baby. The press has previously reported cases where two babies were switched at birth and raised by each other""s families. This happenstance when later discovered has resulted in anguish for all involved and as a result has come to be a point of genuine concern for families. The present invention virtually eliminates the possibility for any inadvertent switching of babies as they will each have not one but two separate identifying bands at opposite ends of their precious bodies. Furthermore, the parents have the added confidence of seeing the same printed information on their own wristbands as is on their baby""s thereby conveying a feeling of comfort and reassurance. All of these advantages are provided with the present invention.
Still another issue that has been experienced by the inventor is that bar codes are gaining more acceptance for identifying patients thus creating a need for a bar code to be printed on each wristband. While the prior invention is fully capable of receiving a printed bar code, and in most instances the printed bar code is capable of being successfully read through the protective laminate covering, it has been found that more than a few medical facilities have older bar code reading equipment which make reading the bar code problematic. Or, the bar code reading equipment may not be adequately adjusted or maintained, or for other equipment reasons there is some difficulty in reading the bar code. In some of the prior art wristbands, a single ply of material is presented without a protective covering so that the surface having the printed bar code is immediately exposed for reading. Unfortunately, these single ply wristbands are generally considered as less desirable in that only a single ply must be made of a stronger material that is capable of accepting a printed bar code, and that generally means a more expensive material than the inventors prior two ply construction. In large quantities, even a small difference in material cost can result in significant savings so there is advantage in utilizing the inventor""s two ply construction. Furthermore, even with a stronger material used as the single ply, it is not nearly as strong as with the two ply (actually three ply when the clear laminate ply is doubled over the paper ply) construction found in the inventors prior wristband design. For these reasons, the inventor has sensed a need for a modification to his prior inventive design that maintains the many advantages and features that it provided but yet eliminated any actual or even perceived difficulty encountered in reading the printed bar code. To satisfy that need, the inventor has succeeded in designing and developing a different version of his wristband invention that has a die cut window in the fold over laminate portion, with a layer of adhesive being supplied under it in place of the ordinarily supplied release layer so that as the fold over laminate portion is separated from the web the die cut window remains in place and the laminate being folded over positions the window over a portion of the label ply to thereby leave exposed a printed bar code on the paper ply. With this construction, the paper label and clear laminate plies may still be used as an opening or window on only one side of the laminate does not significantly detract from the strength of the assembled wristband. Furthermore, the paper ply is preferably still adhered to the full underlying ply of laminate so that its strength is added to that of the paper. Depending on the size and shape of the window, an edge of laminate may preferably be formed at either or both of the top and bottom and allowed to overlap onto the top of the face ply to add even more strength. The paper ply itself is preferably adhered to the underlying laminate ply and this helps to keep the paper ply aligned with the window and also prevent the paper ply from moving away from the laminate as the wristband is worn. With this construction, the advantages of strength and durability of the prior invention may be maintained while the bar code may be fully exposed and thereby assured of being correctly read.
While many of the principal advantages and features have been briefly explained, a more thorough understanding of the invention may be obtained by referring to the drawings and description of the preferred embodiment which follows.